Overview
A short educational video designed to engage English language learners through a comparison of Korean and Nigerian superstitions.
The Problem
Learners are often more engaged when instructional content is relevant, culturally meaningful, and presented in an engaging format.
Audience
Korean middle school English language learners while virtual learning during the pandemic.
Goal
Learners will compare cultural beliefs from Korea and Nigeria while strengthening listening comprehension, sentence composition and cultural awareness.
Solution
A video-based lesson that uses cultural comparisons, visuals, and a knowledge check to support learning and encourage engagement.
Process
Analysis
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Considered the interests of Korean middle school English language learners.
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Identified needed language skills for Middle school curriculum.
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Researched cultural comparisons for common superstitions (Nigerian and Korean because of available subject matter experts).
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Defined measurable learning objectives.
Design
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Organized content around similarities and differences between Korean and Nigerian superstitions.
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Created custom animations and visuals to reinforce key concepts.
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Found supportive non-copyright visuals.
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Wrote the instructional content (scripts and text).
Development
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Filmed and edited the 'talking head' portion of the video.
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Recorded audio and incorporated it into the custom animation and narration portions of the video.
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Edited and produced the final video (incorporating 'talking head', visuals, and narration to support understanding.
Implementation
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Submitted the completed video for supervisor review and incorporated feedback to strengthen the final product.
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Published the video on the center's YouTube channel, making it available to its intended audience.
Evaluation
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Monitored audience engagement after publication. The video received over 1.1K views, demonstrating successful reach and learner interest.
Key Design Decisions
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Used culturally relevant content to increase learner engagement.
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Included custom animations and visuals to aid in comprehension.
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Kept the video concise to maintain attention and reduce cognitive overload.
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Incorporated a knowledge check to encourage active participation rather than passive viewing.
Tools Used
Final Cut Pro and Microsoft PowerPoint.
How I would improve
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Add a call to action encouraging learners to share one or more superstitions they learned with a friend or family member to reinforce retention and spark discussion.
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Invite learners to leave a comment sharing which superstition they found most surprising, encouraging reflection and engagement with the content.